Remnants of my Old World
by C707
Summary: A self-insertion of me into the wild world of RWBY! See hurt, love, and anything in between! Standard characters apply. -Original concept by Monty Oum/ Rooster Teeth Productions, LLC.-
1. Transport

The drive home from school proved to be quite interesting. Rain ricocheted off my windshield as the dark clouds above released their massive quantities of water. The drenched two lane road reflected the light from my headlights as I made the gradual 35 MPH turn around the first curve. _No problem. _

This was to be an epic battle: Endless Rain VS. a '92 Ford Ranger and its sophomore occupant.

***Roughly 3 hours earlier***

The school clock chimed three pings before class began. Yeah, we don't even have a classic bell anymore. For every classroom, a white P.A. Speaker was accompanied by a red digital clock, surrounded by white plastic. It was from here that the tones came from.

I took my seat, and pulled out from my backpack that same annoying weight from earlier: my geometry textbook. Shortly after, a girl I knew donned in a camouflage shirt took her seat in front of me. Spinning around, she gave me a hug, almost crushing me.

"Love my Connor!" She said with enthusiasm. I jokingly rolled my eyes and smiled, hugging her back. "How you been, Kenz?"

Mackenzie grinned, running a hand through her long brown hair. "Great, now that you're back!"

I had been away on a golf tourney yesterday, out of town with the team. Yes, I golf! Now don't judge!

Lately she had really gotten into hugging me. I mean jeez, I see her every school day, 7th period. She still has a boyfriend, so that is a problem. Hell, if she does that now, she would probably do the same if I was the one she was dating; but I digress, it's still a free hug!

"Hi, Connor. How are you?" My teacher casually asked over the chit-chat of the class.

"Very fine, but it's still Monday." I replied, my tone dulling as I mentioned the day. She nodded, and returned her focus to the rest of the students.

"Today we will go over chapter 6-3, and go over anything problematic from 6-2."

The majority of the class, including me, groaned in response. _These damn Mondays, do they ever get worse?_

"Also Class, we will correct 6-2 at the end of class."

Shouldn't have said that.

* * *

Writing the percent correct on the top of my assignment, I handed the page to my teacher before returning to my seat.

"Do you think you did alright?" Mackenzie asked.

"I'll pass." I replied, not really worried about it.

Gazing up back at the clock, the sight of 2:44 raised my spirits. _60...59...58..._

The sound of that bell pinging was the equivalent to the Pearly Gates of Heaven squeaking. (No rhyming intended.) Flying out of the room, I was already in the drivers seat of my truck before anybody could get out a "See ya tomorrow" or "See you at practice." Trying to get out of the High School's parking lot with everybody else was frighteningly similar to bumper cars for adults. Rolling out of there, tires screaming, I made for golf practice.

G-Dale's C.C. was pretty good for a 9 hole course. Well trimmed greens, broad fairways, and the occasional deer passing by made the scene complete. Pulling out my clubs from the back, I got to work.

* * *

Returning exhausted from all the walking, I lazily loaded my clubs back into place before taking the helm of my vessel. Today's practice was indeed another awful one. Shooting a 64 (Par 35) had put me into quite the irritated mood. Revving the engine a little before departing, I waved my best friend Danny goodbye before leaving. Plugging in my phone to the stereo, _This Will be the Day_ erupted from the back speakers. At least something good had met me today. As I rolled out on the road off the course, a slightly nerve-racking storm began brewing in the west. _Great, more crappy things to bug me. _

***Present time***

I clicked up the wipers to the fastest setting. Water was flung off the glass, only to be replaced by more. Gritting my teeth, I moved my head about trying to keep the view of the road intact. Another curve was quickly approaching. Giving the brakes a little encouragement, my speed seemed unchanged. Widening my eyes, a gave the pedal a good push, but to no avail. Thinking quickly, I threw the transmission into first gear and pulled the E-Brake. My tires screamed at me for the second time, and I could hear the engine whining as well, combining the two to form a terrifying chorus. Thrown forward, I felt my seat belt roughly hold me back as I shot straight off the curve, catching some air before slamming and sliding to a stop on a dirt road parallel to the highway.

Still tense, I slowly let a hand drop from the steering wheel. All was silent, except for the now soft pattering of rain on the roof of the cab. The sky had grown so dark with the clouds, one would think it was night. Relaxing, I grabbed the key. With a twist, the sound of metal scraping metal met my ears. Shuddering, I pounded the wheel. "AGH!" I screamed. Grabbing a flashlight from my console, I popped the hood, and opened my door.

Stepping out, the rain greeted me with a freezing welcome. Throwing on my sweatshirt hood, I opened the one to my vehicle. Immediately after setting the metal prop for the hood into place, the radiator cap burst, steam erupting from the cavity. Shielding my face, I waited for the pressure to subside. Taking a look at the metal beast's innards was not promising. _No radiator, starter is toast, Belts are torn to shreds._ Slamming my hand down in frustration, the impact put a nice gash into my finger, along with chipping a jewel from my class ring. Wincing as the blood ran, I watched it drip into a puddle at my feet, the liquid slowly diffusing into the strangely clear body of water. The portion of the gem also took up property in that puddle.

Out of nowhere, thunder erupted from the sky. Looking up at the sound, a flash of light erupted from the mass of black clouds, striking the precious stone, throwing me back in the process. Picking myself up off the muddy ground, I grabbed my flashlight, shut down from the blast.

But something was still glowing.

Looking down, the puddle now stood completely still. The rain had ceased, but the dark clouds remained. Gazing into the anomaly revealed a crimson forest, fading in and out of focus. I grabbed a stick, and gently touched the surface. surprisingly, acted more like rubber that water, the reflection distorted with the brief touch. The twig disintegrated, forming a few white particles that passed through the barrier, into the unknown.

_A portal?_

I backed away, and took a look around me. The rain had suddenly ceased, but the dark clouds remained. Was I really going to do this?_ I don't think this lonely town is going to miss one guy. _

Going back over to my truck, I prepared for an inter-dimensional voyage.

I emptied the school contents of my backpack onto the floor of the cab. _Not going to need those. _Grabbing my coat from the behind the seat, I stuffed it into the main compartment of the bag, along with the flashlight. Next was the pocket knife I kept in the glove-box;I stuffed that into my pocket. I also grabbed my phone, but I knew it would only last about a day before dying. _Lets see... Knife, Backpack, Wrist-Watch, Phone, Coat, Flashlight... Shades? _Hell, if I was going to kill myself doing this, it's going to be in style. I put those on my forehead.

Standing over the portal once again, I let out a sigh. This is it. Putting my hands down to my sides, I hopped onto the "Puddle".

My legs went numb. Looking down, they had already dissolved, the process slowly moving up my body. Again, little white orbs re-condensed before moving on through. As the sensation reached my neck, I closed my eyes.

Everything went to black.

**So, the first chapter is out! If all goes well, I may even do a crossover to my other story, If the Dust doesn't Kill Me. Comments/Reviews are always welcome. Thanks! *C707 HAS LEFT THE BUILDING* **


	2. Destination Reached

**Shout-outs to: **

**Disciple of Revan, Hipoisthabest, artorias19, and trombonelegend (I play too, bro!)**

* * *

Everything was black, dark, and silent. In that state of mind, only my thoughts could run free. Was this death? Where is the light at the end of the tunnel? My mind turned its focus to other matters.

I could feel my feet.

Although very numb, I could definitely feel them. _My God, I'm re-condensing. _I thought with amazement_. _The sensation again made the slow journey up my body. Only this time, my limbs returned to the land of existence. Formed up to my chest, I waited for my vision to reveal my destination.

Light flooded my vision. All was white at first, but it then faded into the correct brightness. Much to my annoyance however, everything appeared heavily blurred. Just to top it off, my ears were ringing like a mortar just went off next to my face. I felt completely drained of energy. Apparently travel between two dimensions takes quite the toll on the body, considering that you disintegrate into millions of little particles while doing so. Falling to the ground, I let my head fall back, and sleep enveloped me.

* * *

I woke, staring up into the sky. Blood red leaves descended overhead, landing silently on the forest floor. By now the ringing and blurred vision had finally left, allowing me to analyze my surroundings. Just like the image within the portal, trees covered in crimson leaves surrounded me. However, the endless rate at which the leaves fell from the trees was astounding. With all this red, even the sky seemed pink. A sweet smell greeting my nose took my focus elsewhere. Picking up a leaf, I took a good sniff. The scent reminded me of perfume.

I took to my thoughts. _Red forest, sweet smelling leaves, pink sky... _

"Shattered moon?" I questioned out loud, an idea reaching my mind. Again gazing up at the sky, I did a full 360, looking for confirmation.

Out to the far east was indeed that planetary body, surprisingly easy to see, given it was still day.

_No way..._

This was RWBY.

I laughed my heart out. Of all the places I could've been transported to, it had to be the one that kick-started my enjoyment of Anime. Quickly grabbing my phone, I snapped a photo of the scenery. It may die, but if I save the photos now, there could be no way to forget this experience.

Stowing the device away, I double checked my inventory. Everything was still in place. Without thinking, I climbed the nearest tree, looking for any sign of Vale. About 10 klicks out was the main spire of Beacon Academy, much to my relief. The trek there would be a moderate hike, but I completely forgot about one thing.

The hell are all the Grimm?

Pulling out my knife, I got really nervous. Call me a wimp, but my switchblade is the equivalent to a butter knife in this dimension. But at least it could do a little more damage than cursing. Descending from the tree, I set out for the Academy, praying that I wouldn't encounter trouble.

* * *

***Meanwhile, at Beacon***

Ruby and the team sat about in their dorm, working on various tasks.

"I still think Professor Port's lectures are completely unrelated to the class." Yang argued across the room. Both her and Weiss had gotten into a light scuffle over the Professor's tangents from the time Grimm studies ended, to the end of the school day.

Weiss's voice could be heard echoing from the bathroom. Once again, she was perfecting her makeup.

"If you actually listened, you might get something out of it!" She replied.

"Yeah, 45 minuted of extra sleep." Yang muttered.

The sound of an incoming video call shut the two up. All three girls congregated around Ruby, who accepted the call after jumping down from her bed. Ozpin's neutral expression greeted the group.

"Ladies, I have a task for you. Actually, it's almost similar to a rescue mission."

Yang did a fist pump, but before she could ask for details, he spoke again.

"Within the last 30 minutes, a strange anomaly was detected by our security cameras within Forever Fall Forest." A surveillance video flew into view. It showed a quick flash of light, followed by a person forming from the feet up, out of nothing but little white orbs. He wore a gray sweatshirt, with _ Las Vegas, Est. 1905 _stamped across the front. Besides that, a normal pair of jeans, blue t-shirt, and black tennis shoes completed the outfit.

His expression was one of confusion, and disorientation. He then swayed around standing for a few seconds, before promptly falling to the ground, passed out.

Ozpin paused the video. "Shortly after losing consciousness, he stayed that way for a good 20 minutes before waking up." The video continued, showing him spinning around, laughing, climbing a tree, and the walking away, knife in hand.

"This guy is obviously completely nuts." Yang said, still watching the video.

"Now-" Opin continued, removing that video before bringing up another one.

"This is the live feed."

The boy was hiking down a beaten trail, still brandishing the knife.

"And?" Weiss questioned.

"Well, Miss Schnee, he's headed right for Beacon."

The girls exchanged glances, wondering what Ozpin had planned.

"Your objective is to confront the boy in a non-hostile manner. Apprehend him and return to Beacon, with as little harm done to either party if possible. Also, keep him protected from any Grimm while you are en route there, and coming back. He has not committed any crime, so do not treat him as a criminal." Ozpin's gaze could be seen looking at Weiss, who turned her gaze elsewhere.

"You deploy in ten minutes." And with that, the call was ended.

* * *

Walking through Forever Fall was quite the scene. Although I couldn't really focus on that, given that it was filled with creatures made to kill me. I took a minute to rest, leaning against a tree for support. Checking my watch, Earth time was about 8 o'clock right about now. The position of the sun here suggested about 4 in the afternoon, so I had a little more time to get to Beacon. If it gets dark while I'm out here, I will die.

Taking a breath in, I finally noticed the gnawing hunger within my gut. I rubbed my stomach, completely forgetting about bringing food. But then again, an idea came to mind.

Recalling from the series, Nora downed the jars of tree sap with no issue. Seems easy, right? Looking around the tree I found what looked like a dry portion of it, crystallized like a ruby. I don't know how Ren extracted the stuff, so I could only guess.

If this portion was solidified, there would have to be at least some plugged up behind it. Working my knife into the crystal, it eventually popped off, much like a cork. The sweet liquid flowed out with ease, no longer held back by anything. I cupped my hands to catch it, and took in a grateful mouthful. I scrunched my face at just how sweet it was; the equivalent of drinking syrup. However I did take a few more swigs, just to keep the edge off while I was moving. Wiping my hands around in the dirt to get the sticky feeling off, I continued on with the journey.

I have no idea if sugar exists on this planet, but if it does, the sap had it. It felt like downing two or three energy drinks in one sitting. I eventually broke from my walk into a light jog, feeling like I could run a marathon. This was definitely more than a caffeine high.

After another ten minutes or so, I slowed down to a walk again. The sugar rush was gone, but ironically I didn't experience a crash; I felt fine. Climbing up another tree, I saw the tower of the Academy. The spire was closer, but still a good distance away. Rolling my eyes, I was about to climb down, when I heard sticks being broken nearby, along with leaves being tread on. I drew my knife, preparing for the worst. Standing still, I let my ears do the work. _More than one being, possibly human. God, I hope so. _ Turning in place, I surveyed everything around me. A meadow was to my left, the source of the sound. Walking in my direction, much to my utter happiness and surprise, was none other than team RWY, apparently searching for something, or me.

_Wait, where's Blake?_

I heard a tapping on the base of the tree. Slowly looking down, a pair of golden eyes met mine.

Along with the barrel of Gambol Shroud.

"CRAP!" I yelled, pulling back from my position. I lost my balance, and fell off the branch I was crouched down on. Landing on my back with a thud, I saw Blake lower her pistol to her side. Seeing the commotion, the rest of the team ran over, weapons drawn. "Whoa! Hang on!" I said, bringing my hands up. I really didn't want to die only minutes after meeting some of the coolest (and hottest) characters in the series.

Ruby was the first to address me verbally, to my relief. That was one damn big scythe she was packing!

"Well hi!" She exclaimed, very out of character given the fact she had her weapon stuck in the ground mere feet away from me.

"Hi?" I replied, very confused at what was going on.

After a moment of awkward silence, Yang spoke up.

"We need you to come with us."

**Another chapter is done! So, things are getting interesting. What happens next? Stay online to find out! Comments/Reviews are always welcome. Thanks! *C707 HAS LEFT THE BUILDING***


	3. Small Introductions

"That so?" I inquired, wondering just what exactly she was implying. She nodded without blinking, apparently serious.

She took a second to regain her bearings, then continued.

"Also, I am gonna need that knife your packing as well."

I frowned, and hesitantly complied. Slowly pulling the charcoal blade from my pocket, I tossed it over to the Blonde Brawler. She caught it with one hand, and clipped it onto her belt.

_I guess I get to keep my backpack. Nice. _

"I guess we're headed right to Beacon then?" I asked. Weiss narrowed her gaze.

"Wait, how do you-" She was cut off by Ruby.

"Yes, we are. Sadly though, you need to wear these." She took a pair of handcuffs out from her utility belt.

I groaned. If anything bothered me the most, it was freaking handcuffs. Extending my arms out, I balled my fists. Hopefully she wouldn't put them on too tight.

I felt the cold metal on my wrists, along with the mechanical clicking as they were locked shut.

* * *

Our party began the return trip, headed down the trail I had originally chose to travel upon. The girls decided to stick me between Bake and Yang, for good measure. Did they seriously think an unarmed, untrained guy like me make a getaway that easily?

I decided to get a conversion rolling, just to make this trip as short as possible.

"So, I'm guessing Ozpin sent you guys, right?"

Again Weiss shot me a deadly glare. What was her problem?

"Yeah, how did you know?" Ruby replied, becoming curious as to why I kept making spot-on assumptions.

"Just a wild guess." I said. Having watched the series, I naturally know a good amount of things about RWBY. If I was to tell them that they were made up by Monty Oum and R.T. , the entire dimension could collapse (Just another assumption, one I pray will never become correct.)

"How do you know all this?" Weiss asked, apparently set on obtaining answers.

"Uhh-" I stammered. _I need answers, fast! Something realistic, but untrue._

"I'm telepathic!"

"A what?"

"I can read people's minds, recall their memories and such."

The heiress squinted at me.

"Prove it."

I took a minute to think. _The trailers! I can use those!_

"Well-" I replied, preparing a bombardment of scarily accurate info.

"The mirror isn't the only one that knows who the loneliest of all is._." _I bluntly stated. "And how much did daddy pay for the sparring knight?"

She looked confused at first, but then widened her eyes after making the connections. Sadly for her, I wasn't done yet.

"Also, did the head-bleed from that battle leave a scar?"

"Enough!" She said sternly. Apparently I had proven my point. The others had all faced me, surprised that I was able to fluster the Ice Princess.

"Oh! Do me! Do me!" Yang exclaimed, almost bouncing as she walked.

"I'm pretty sure you broke Junior's jaw. Shame the twins had to get into it too, the one in white was pretty hot until you decked her. "

She replied with a grin full of pride. Ruby and Blake must not have been up for it; they just decided to remain quiet. After a short period of silence, Weiss brought up a very good point.

"Fine, I assume that is your semblance?"

Crap. My semblance? Man, I dont even know if I have aura!

"Um-...About that..."

"What? Out of answers already?"

"No." I replied, vexed. She had me this time around. I really am out of answers!

"What was with that portal?" Blake interjected. She must have gotten sick of the arguing. I thought for a minute, trying to think of a way to explain it.

"It really is a long stor-"

"Answer the question." Weiss insisted.

_Use extreme sarcasm! _My mind suggested. Prepare for the biggest "reverse lie" this dimension has ever seen!

"Fine. I traveled here through time and space by unknowingly participating in some ritual that required a jewel and my blood!" I declared. Weiss rolled her eyes, but Blake gave me an inquisitive stare. Honestly it was starting to make me nervous. Yang burst out laughing. _This guy has lost his marbles! _

A low growl nearby shut Yang up real fast. Ruby brought her scythe in front of her, keeping her head down.

"Guys, we better move."

The girls slowly readied their weapons. I just stood there, struggling in these damn handcuffs. Weiss already had formulated a plan of escape, which she whispered to Ruby. After some hesitating, she put her scythe away and grabbed me by the handcuffs.

"NOW RUBY!"

In a flurry of crimson petals, she broke off into a run, dragging me by the handcuffs. For her size, she was pretty strong to be hauling me that fast. I looked back as the remainder of the team was ambushed by a pack of Beowolves. Trees flew by, and the battle faded into red blur.

* * *

The two of us were on the campus within minutes. Urging me along, she eventually led me to an unmarked room, very similar to one used for an interrogation. Within it was a grey table, concrete floor, two chairs, and a single overhead lamp.

"Go ahead and sit down. Ozpin will be here in a few minutes. Also, you have a name?" She asked.

"Just call me Connor."

"Hi Connor. I'm Ruby."

With that, she let the door shut softly. I could hear a deadbolt get pulled shut, meaning I wasn't leaving any time soon.

After a few minutes, just like Ruby said, Ozpin and Glynda Goodwitch filed into the room. The headmaster had a second cup of coffee with him which he offered to me. I took the mug and drank without hesitation.

"Do you know who I am?" He asked, following a mental script. I smiled. _Just like episode 1._

"You're Professor Ozpin, the Headmaster at Beacon." I answered, taking another sip. Try drinking coffee with handcuffs on sometime, it's quite the challenge!

The man remained quiet for a second. I could've sworn I saw his brow twitch.

Glynda Produced her scroll, and relayed the surveillance video of my arrival.

"Care to explain?" He asked calmly.

I sighed. He needs to know that Earth is another dimension, but not the one that created Remnant and everything with it.

"Before I do, what do you plan to do with me?"

"Only time can answer that question."

I smirked. "This might take a while." Ozpin gestured me to go on. Apparently time wasn't an issue for him.

"I come from another dimension..." I began, Goodwitch's eyes narrowed. She wasn't buying it.

I explained just about everything. The storm, my hand, even my Ranger.

"And is there any physical proof in your possession that can confirm that? The Headmaster asked after I finished.

"Yeah, but you need to remove these handcuffs first."

Goodwitch stiffened when Ozpin pulled the keys from his coat pocket. With two heavenly clicks, my wrists were finally freed from their metallic prison. I grabbed my phone, and pulled up an astrology app I had downloaded long before my trip to Remnant. The entire solar system was displayed on the screen, each planet traveling in its respectable orbit. Clicking on Earth, a page of info popped up, describing the planet. I turned it around to show the headmaster. He scanned the screen, occasionally nodding as he read. After a little while, he sat back in his chair.

"Something like this has never happened before." He took a minute to think.

"Please give me a minute to talk this over with Miss Goodwitch."

The two stepped out of the room, shutting the door behind them. The door was soundproof, so I couldn't really hear what the two discussed. Searching through my backpack, I found my coat and flashlight, but something was missing besides my knife.

I brought my hands up to my hair. The shades were gone. Damn it! Those were my Ray Bans!

_Must have fallen off when I got dragged to Beacon. _I thought.

Ozpin entered the room by himself this time, and remained standing when he spoke.

"You have nowhere to go, or live your life. What would you do?"

I took a minute to think. Honestly, I didn't believe I would make it this far on Remnant. I could try and convince him to let me stay, or I might take a chance wandering downtown Vale. The choices didn't necessarily matter, I could start a new life, free from the burdens of the previous world. All I had to do was speak.

"Could you do anything to let me stay here?" I asked nervously.

He remained silent. After what seemed like forever, he opened the door and stood within it.

"You may, just because I know you practically have nothing. Please refrain from disrupting any classes and such."

He left without another word.

I stood up, finished my coffee, and made my way outside onto the campus. He let me stay here without another word! I jammed my hands into my pockets, and started walking.

* * *

This school seemed endless. So much walking- no, WANDERING, and I continually discovered new sets of architecture. The sky had faded into a deep orange as the sun began to set, so I knew night was right around the corner.

_God, where do I sleep?_

Without thinking, I had made my way Beacon's Gardens. The plants looked so serene, even if it was barely light out. Pretty funny to think that this world was enveloped in chaos, nightmarish creatures and death. I walked on, caught in the peace and quiet.

Finding a bench, I pulled the coat from my backpack and threw it on. Most of the foot-traffic had deteriorated as students headed for their dorms, leaving me by myself in the Gardens. I stretched out across the length of it, and pulled both coat and sweatshirt hood on. Man, I hope that the nights here aren't too cold.

_So this is what being homeless feels like. _

I closed my eyes, and thought about what was to come tomorrow.

* * *

**Very sorry for the delay! Golf has kept me busy, and I am going to another tournament tomorrow (May 6th). Wish me luck! The rate of publishing should be this slow through the 28th depending on if I make State or not.  
**

**The next chapter is gonna be interesting... Shenanigans, here we come! **

**Comments/Reviews are always welcome. Thanks for reading!**

**-C707**


	4. Questions and Answers

**~ Shout-Outs to new followers/favorites/etc ~**

**SunwukongMogar : kitsuneLovers94 : ZeroGrav514 : GunShot2016 : andy2396 : jhellou**

**Sorry if I missed anybody for chapters 1-3! MSG me if I did so, and I will edit you in. **

* * *

I woke to a light breeze rustling leaves in a nearby tree. Stars flickered overhead, a tribute to the shattered moon that was their company. Cool air met my face as I scanned the sky.

_Jeez, must be past midnight._

I lay there, admiring the view when I heard the slightest sound of footsteps. Shutting my eyes again, I imitated breathing naturally as whoever it was walked over to my side. Judging from the sound, they stood there for a minute before slowly walking away again.

I slowly looked in their direction, tilting my head up to see over my coat hood. Blake was casually walking down the cobblestone path of the gardens, obviously relaxed. She took a seat on a large boulder, and interestingly enough started stargazing.

Rather than stand up, I slowly grabbed the flashlight from my coat pocket. This model came with a laser, and now would be the perfect time to test it out. Silently clicking it on, I moved the little red dot over to the canopy of a tree within her view.

Her head jerked in the direction of the speck. Jumping up, she eyed the anomaly with deadly precision. I flicked it left, right, all over the place. Her gaze jerked to and fro, to the extent of me thinking she was almost going to fall over with dizziness. I took to the ground, and did circles on the stone path. She ran in pursuit, trying to grab it.

"Come here you... thing!" She yelled. I navigated the pointer on a return trip, causing Blake to run right up to me.

Clicking it off chuckling, I sat up and threw off my hood. "Now that was interesting, yeah?" She smirked at me with embarrassment.

"For you, maybe." She replied.

Gesturing her to sit down, she wiped herself off, and did so.

"That look you gave me in Forever Fall wasn't a coincidence. What do you want to know?" I began. She took a minute to think.

"Everything."

* * *

I grabbed my phone again, along with the Earth app.

"Yesterday afternoon, I was driving home from golf practice-"

"First off, what is golf, and second what were you driving?" She interrupted.

I explained the sport of golf and my truck. She looked like she was taking mental notes.

"Anyways, some type of storm had developed while I was driving, and it took me off the road." She urged me to go on.

"I surveyed the engine, and everything was fried. I got so mad I hit the front end with my hand. That broke a gem on my ring and cut my finger." I showed her the scab accordingly, and the eyesore of a class ring, now that the main jewel was ruined.

"Some blood ran into a puddle with the fragment of the gem, and it got struck by lightning." I stated. Blake looked surprised, again very much out of character.

"That somehow formed a portal, and here I am!" I concluded. She looked directly at me.

"Are you gonna miss anybody?" She asked.

That one hit me hard. The better question was: Would anybody miss me?

"My...family, but otherwise I'm not too sure." I quietly replied. "I had my share of friends, but if we graduated I wouldn't see them again."

She frowned. It was nice to see that somebody else was concerned for me besides my own conscience.

"I see..."

We both sat there silent for a minute, lost in our thoughts. Realizing what time it was, I broke the tranquility.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?" I said. She blinked a few times, returning to the land of the living.

"I should, but just cant seem to tonight." the Female Faunus explained. "Watching the stars seems to help."

I nodded, and let my eyes take to the sky. The stars slowly wheeled overhead, lulling me into a subconscious daze.

"You see what I mean?" Blake insisted. I shook myself awake.

"Yeah. Well, I guess you should be getting back to the dorm..." I proposed, she stood up in agreement.

"I probably should. Also, why were you sleeping on the bench?" She asked.

"Ozpin doesn't exactly house inter-dimensional travelers , I guess."

She frowned, again. Why is she so concerned?

"W-Would you like a place to stay?" she asked, very nervously I might add.

"Both of us know that Weiss would cut me to ribbons with that rapier."

She sadly agreed, and turned toward the school.

"Goodnight then."

"Goodnight. See you tomorrow."

She began walking back to the dorm rooms. Then an idea hit me.

_I may not have a dorm, but still being in a building would be nice. _

I jumped up, grabbed my bag, and caught up to her.

"I might get away with finding someplace inside..." I joked. She smiled.

* * *

"So this is the dorm building?" I questioned as the two of us walked inside.

Turns out that the Dorms were only five minutes from the gardens, I just didn't see that at the time. We had entered a lobby on the ground level. An interactive display had been installed into the wall, showing each room and the team that occupied it. The lobby had whitewashed walls, and a tile floor that was probably cold if you weren't wearing shoes.

"Team RWBY is right here: floor 3, 4th door from the stairwell." Blake informed, pointing out the corresponding room. I took mental note of that.

"Okay, _now _goodnight." I said humorously.

"_Goodnight!" _She hollered back, heading up the stairs.

"Aaaannnnndd now I'm alone again." I muttered to myself.

* * *

After ascending to floor three, I wandered down the dim hallway. Being this early in the morning, it was dead silent. I noticed a door that stood out from the rest. It wasn't styled like the others; this one was just a basic, blank grey door. A small plaque labeled "Storage3" was hung on the wall nearby.

Even more surprising, it was unlocked. The room was shrouded in darkness, so I grabbed my flashlight. Various metal shelves lined the wall to about ten feet back, the back end of the room. Uniforms, textbooks, even coffee mugs lined all but the bottom row on the left side. That seemed like an optimum place to rest.

I shut the door behind me, and set my light down, facing up to see. Grabbing some towels from nearby, I layered a few down as a base to make things somewhat comfy. To complete my crude operation was a pillow, folded up from yet another towel.

Setting my backpack on the shelf above where I would sleep, I slid onto my "mattress". The cloth, despite being thin, outdid the bench in every way possible. It didn't take long for sleep to find me once more.

* * *

**Well hai Guys!**

**Sorry for not getting as crazy as I anticipated, but I seemed to have "procrastinated" that until later. **

**If I remember next time, I should be able to pull off some funnier stuff. I am gonna let things develop slower that usual, just to lengthen the story. **

**Another thing: I am now looking for a proofreader! PM me if you are interested. I could use some help, and it would improve the story ten times over! **

**But anyways, thanks for reading! It keeps me motivated to see some people enjoying my "work", if you wish to call it that. Chapter 5 is now W.I.P. ! **

**-C707**


	5. Good Morning

**~ Shout-Outs to new followers/favorites/etc ~**

**PsionicRain : PCheshire : Firefan1234 : Golum936 : KR Accel Max : nightspaz**

**Sorry if I missed anybody for chapters 1-4! MSG me if I did so, and I will edit you in.**

* * *

*A dream, my POV*

I opened my eyes to the forest of Forever Fall. The same crimson leaves steadily descended as always, catching the eye at every turn.

Only this time I was not alone.

A best friend since middle school now stood by me. His name was D. He looked confused, running both hands through his black hair as he turned in place, looking around. We both stared each other, but couldn't seem to speak. I casually looked over to my left, and there my family stood. Mom had my little sis in her arms, looking around just as disoriented as my companion. Dad was by the two; this was first time I had seen both of them together in over 6 years. Glancing back at D, I saw him freeze in place.

Crimson eyes appeared everywhere. The sky grew black, highlighting the eerie glares. Birds grew silent, leaving just me and the people I knew with the Grimm.  
The first Beowolf stepped out from behind some foliage, and slowly lumbered over to D. He nervously raised his fists, shaking all he way. The creature raised a clawed hand, a guttural growl emanating from its throat.

Instantly my vision betrayed me. It was like having a bag pulled over my face. I could not see, but I could hear. A snarl, cloth tearing, and a body hitting the ground with a thud.

I regained my sight just as one final breath left my best friend's lungs. Where blood would have seeped from was just black, liquid black. His skin lost all pigment, fading to literal white and staying so . A look of horror was still frozen in his complexion.

I screamed, but nobody could hear. My body was trembling, and I could feel my heart racing. Turning to my family, They appeared just as horrified as I was. Dad stepped in front of both Mom and my sister, but to no avail. I saw yet another beast grab both from behind, and again my vision dissipated.  
More growling, torn clothes and thuds. I took no time to yell, but only the sounds of death could be heard.

Damn my eyes. Mom and sis both lay crumpled on the ground, dead. Only Dad remained, cradling my sister as her color faded as well. He was a man of the military, but seeing him silently sobbing proved too much for me.

I ran over to him, trying to comfort him. But my hands met only air. The scene faded to nothing but me and the Grimm. Everyting dissolved, making the ground indistinguishable; it was all black.

The single Beowolf now stood before me. We both stood in facing each other, unmoving. My blood boiled, but my knees felt weak at the same time. Letting the tears fall, I balled my fists, and charged at the creature.

Right as my hand would have contacted its face, it dissolved away, just like Dad. The "ground" below me gave way, and I began to fall. I couldn't see anything, it was all just black.

I could see a Nevermore closing in on me. The thing simply appeared out of nowhere, as if stepping out from behind a curtain.

With a menacing screech, it brought its talons forward as it drew even closer. Seeing this, I tightened up into a ball.

One last battle cry, and its weapons hit their target, digging into skin and bone...

* * *

I jumped from my sleep, instinctively lurching myself up. My head slammed into the aluminum shelf above me, sounding like someone took a baseball bat to the side of a car.  
"AH! DAMN IT!" I tiredly yelled, bringing both hands up to cover my throbbing forehead.

* * *

Team RWBY had all woken up, and began getting dressed when they heard a loud BANG nearby.

"What was that?" Weiss asked busily as she tightened down the red laces of her uniform.

"It sounded like it was nearby." Ruby added. "I'll go check it out."

Being the first to finish dressing, the caped crusader stepped out into the hall. The sound came from the wall near Blake's bed, so she walked in the general direction down the corridor.

Thinking it came from one of the dorms, she walked right by the storage room. Only when another crash met her ears did she return to the door of Storage3.

Timidly opening said door, she peered into the dark room. A figure was stumbling around, cursing and mumbling something about a flashlight.

"Hello?" Ruby asked, opening the door further to let some light in.

"What!?" I grudgingly replied, still holding my head. "Oh, sorry. Uh...hi, Ruby?"

She looked at me, very confused. Flicking the light switch, the overhead lamps illuminated, causing me to squint my eyes.

"What are you doing in here?" She confusedly inquired. "And what happened to your head?"

"One hell of a nightmare" I responded. Looking at a hand, a bit of blood was dabbled on my palm. She winced seeing the nick on my forehead.

Even more curious to her was the fact that my eyes where red. Not from sleep deprivation, but crying.

"Are you...okay?" Ruby asked after a second.

"Well, at the moment...I'm not really sure."

"I thought so. C'mon, lets clean you up." After grabbing my things, she led me back to her dorm.

* * *

"Guys, you all dressed?" Ruby asked through the closed door.

"Yeah, why?" Weiss replied, her voice muffled. "We got a visitor."

Ruby opened the door, and was walking in when I stopped in my tracks.

"Uh, Connor? The dorm is this way." She said, tugging on my sleeve.

"I know. What about Weiss?" I whispered. She replied with tugging me in completely, making me trip and fall, causing another impact to my face. Only this time it was carpet, not aluminum.

"Ugghhhh." I groaned into the floor. I hauled myself up, leaving a grape sized splotch of blood on the material.

"Agh, my bad." I descended again to try and wipe up the mess. By now the blood was smeared across my forehead, and even a little had seeped onto my eyebrows.

"Let one of the others take care of that." Ruby said, and a hesitant Weiss complied, grabbing a washcloth from the bathroom. Soon enough I was dragged in there, and was sat on the porcelain throne while girl tended my wound.

"Huh, this is really weird." She stated after a few minutes. "What is it?"

"By now your aura should've healed the wound, but it doesn't seem to want to stop bleeding."

"I don't think I have it, Ruby." I concluded. Nobody had unlocked it, and on top of that, did I really have it? Could a being of a separate dimension obtain the abilities and powers of another?

"Nonsense. Everybody has aura." She countered, completely forgetting how "foreign" I really am.

"Hey somebody grab Pyrrah." She shouted into the main room. The Amazon appeared a few minutes later, a tired and curious expression glued to here face. She was wearing her uniform as well.

"You need something?" She asked her friend.

"Show Connor that he has aura."

"I'm sorry, who?"

"He was the one we brought back from the extraction mission yesterday. His name is Connor."

She nodded in understanding before putting out her hand. "Hello Connor, I'm Pyrrah."

We shook hands, and I noted that she had a firm grip. I appreciated that, due to the fact that when I met most girls, nine out of ten always had a dainty little handshake. Grabbing just the fingers drove me especially crazy, on the inside.

"Now, close your eyes and concentrate."

Being most experienced with aura and semblance, she took no hesitation placing a hand on my chest and activating her own aura. Seconds later, she brought her hand back quickly, like she had touched a hot pan.

"What is it?"Ruby quickly asked. The others now stood staring at me, amazement in their expressions.

"Interesting." Pyrrah stated. "Although locked, you can feel massive amounts of it. It almost radiates off of him." She took a minute to think.

"If you ever encounter combat, you might consider using Dust crystals for weapons. Both aura and dust combine to make our weapons lethal to the Grimm."

I made sure to remember that. I might not know how to swing a sword, but pointing a finger seemed easy enough.

"Can you... unlock it?" I asked hesitantly.

"I handled Jaune's easy enough, why not?"

She resumed her pose, only forcing herself to keep her hand in place. My mind lost its hold on everything, it was dark and silent, but warm and comforting at the same time.

* * *

I woke up on a bed, presumably Weiss's due the fact that another bed was suspended by mere cords feet above me. Sitting up expecting one big headache, I was surprised not to find one. I walked into the bathroom, and took a gaze at a very familiar fellow in the mirror.

Wow... Simply wow.

The bruising that I thought was there had completely disappeared. The gash was gone as well, with no traces of it ever being left there.

Even more so, my physical appearance had changed as well. I still possessed my normal characteristics: Tall, slender, short brown hair and hazel eyes. The only thing different was that I looked... more RWBY-like? Imagine my hair like Cardin's, only more ruffled, darker, and not slicked up in the front.

Returning to the mattress, a letter on lined paper had been set nearby on the nightstand.

_Connor,_

_Sorry for leaving, but all of us had to go to class. Pyrrah unlocked your aura, but you never woke up after she finished. You just stood there unconscious. We set you down on Weiss's bed (she wasn't too happy about it) and left. _

_If you are awake sometime around noon, you can catch us down at the cafeteria. _

_P.S. Your scratch faded once Pyrrah finished her thing. _

_-Ruby_

Well, that explains a few things. I looked at the analog clock hung over the main door.

11:37.

"This one has a sense of good timing!" I spoke to myself.

* * *

**So, again, I forgot to make things funny. Yes, I know, throw your hate-tomatoes now. **

***Holds out arms to receive bombardment* **

**Ugh, I am sorry. It's kind of funny, how real life events can effect your story unintentionally. Things have been a little rough on my end *Cough*Car accident*Cough*, and so the story was brought to a standstill. I'll keep kicking myself to write funny, even if it *almost* kills me. **

**But hey, another chapter in the books. I guess everything has some type of bright side. **

**Also, DEM FOLLOWERS THO. Man, thanks guys! **

**Chapter 6 is now WIP! **

**-C707**


	6. Necessities

**~ Shout-Outs to new followers/favorites/etc ~**

**Peppamince : LeFastZoomBlazeM8 : FallenDark : InsaneHawk : Bulldan : JPVE  
**

**Sorry if I missed anybody for chapters 1-5! MSG me if I did so, and I will edit you in.**

* * *

Right as I was about to head out, a familiar scent caught my nose.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me..."

I lifted an arm, and took a hesitant whiff. I was nearly knocked off my feet at the smell.

_Mother of god... Monty even put this in the RWBY universe?  
_

"Why Monty, why!?" I coughed out.

Without hesitation, I ran into the bathroom. A quick shower wouldn't hurt anything.

* * *

The feeling of the warm water running through my hair felt great. Only after I jumped in did I realize that I didn't have shampoo or a bar of soap.

I scanned the shelves built in under the shower head. Various bottles of what I needed were stored there. But...

_Crimson Bouquet? Chilled Mint? Midnight Lavender!? Who comes up with these names? Oh, wow..._

_Burning Desires- A luxurious treatment for long hair!? _

_What in the absolute hell? _

I peeked out out of the curtain to get an update of the time. Another smaller clock was hung by the mirror.

11:42.

I let out a loud sigh. _ Well, I guess I'm only getting out of this with one of four ways._

* * *

I let the bathroom door swing open, and steam trailed out as I followed. In nothing but my boxers and dirty, torn jeans, it was probably quite the sight. I looked around the room proud...

Strongly smelling of the feminine hair product that was _Burning Desires_. My hair was nowhere near long, but it seemed like the optimum choice at the time.

An obvious solution to my previous problem hit me mere minutes after the deed was done. I ran into the nearby storage room bare footed, and browsed the inventory.

Besides the non-scented roll-on deodorant sticks (thank god) , there where multitudes of standard hair wash donned with Beacon's emblem, scattered about the metallic shelves. I grabbed both the roll-on and hair wash, and was about to leave when a few articles of clothing caught my eye...

* * *

I strolled out of that storage room like it was the double doors to the playboy mansion. Even though it was a school uniform, it felt like an Armani grade suit. Shoot, there were even breath mints stored in there! I was chewing on one as I made my way down and out to the cafeteria. I'm not sure if it was the clothes I was wearing or what, but for some reason I added a little "cool" into my stride. Despite the odd and disparaging looks from the guys, I got a smile or even the seductive grin from the occasional gal. Maybe Jaune should get a hold of that hair product.

_It must be the smell of the shampoo! What a minute... that means Yang is-_

I pushed those thoughts away, swatting down the metaphorical bumble-bee, or by, that is. By now I had reached the lobby, and the cafeteria was literally right around the corner of the front door. It was pretty convenient, in my mind.

I stepped into large mess hall, and was not disappointed.

Besides the seemingly endless tables to eat upon, the area in which you received your meal contained various types of food. Anything from salad to sandwiches, they had it. Despite my audible stomach growling, I refrained from grabbing a plate. Having already "borrowed" a uniform and personal care products, I would give Beacon's 'Espoused, Inter-dimensional Travelers Budget' a bit of a break.

Scanning the tables, I first caught sight of Yang's hair. Given its size and vibrant color, it wasn't that hard to miss. Strolling over with my "cool walk", I was able to catch them all trying to avoid another one of Nora's whacky dreams.

"Connor, you're awake!" Ruby called out as I slid up to the table. Both RWBY and JNPR were sat at the end, so I stood at the head.

"This is Connor, the one I was taking about earlier." Pyrrah said to JNR. Ren was the first to speak up.

"Hello Connor, I'm-"

"Lie Ren, Nora Valkyrie, and Jaune Arc." I finished for him. All four, including Pyrrah, stared at me with confusion.

"He telepathic." Weiss grumbled.

"He's what?" All four chorused.

"HE CAN READ YOUR MINDS!" Weiss cried out, flailing her arms. Team JNPR all responded with nods, and Nora gasping.

"What am I thinking of right now?" The hammer-wielder beamed.

_Monty, why did you never fill us in on Nora!_

"Pancakes?" I nervously inquired. Her eyes lit up, and she jumped out of her seat.

"He was right! Oh, pancakes sound great right now! Do they serve pancakes at lunch? I'm gonna go get some pancakes-"

Her battle plan was brought to a halt as Ren actually _dragged_ her back into her seat. She pouted for a second, but returned to her bright self without issue.

"Interesting. It may prove useful for a one-on-one fight. With a human, that is." Ren concluded, sipping his coffee. I took to one knee, having broke the ice.

"So uh, Pyrrah, besides healing wounds and such, what more can this aura of mine do exactly?" I began. Some info behind this stuff would definitely help.

"In a brief explanation, its used in tandem with our weapons. With both, we can go and-"

"Kill the Grimm." I finished for her. It felt a rude to cut her off, but I think she saw it as more telepathy.

"I suggest you go to the library. You can find more specific answers there."

I thanked her for the advice. Just before I was about to stand up and leave another growl erupted from my gut.

_Man, its been a day since I have eaten something. Maybe the storage room has some small things to eat...  
_

"Oh wow, sorry about that guys." I apologized, rubbing my empty stomach. It was then that I stood, and began to leave.

"Do you want something to eat?" Ruby shouted to grab my attention. Man, an unintentional guilt trip. Thanks, stomach.

"Actually, it would be nice." I said, turning right back around. When the stomach of a teenage boy calls out to you, it is wise to answer.

Ruby gathered all the untouched leftovers from her team. She had literally destroyed all of her cookies, so at best I received half of an apple from Weiss and the remains of Yang's salad. Blake was so enthralled with her book, she must have bored her hunger to death.

I ran over to the serving counter and grabbed some utensils. I needed not worry about these, as they were made of a plastic-like material, and could be thrown away.

Kneeling at the end of the table yet again, I dove into the salad. Being so hungry, I neglected to even care about the taste.

But hey, sustenance is sustenance!

After that was done, I moved onto the apple. Its death was quick.

Across the way, we all heard the cries of a female student. Without even looking up from my plate, I spoke loud enough for only JNPR and RWBY to hear.

"Cardin Winchester, Russel Thrush, Dove Bronzewing, and Sky Lark of team CRDL. Of course Velvet is on the receiving end."

Hearing the event play out in front of me brought back certain memories of school bullies. Not of the hitting, cursing at, or bleeding, but the fact that nobody was there for me during it all. Velvet didn't shouldn't need to know that feeling any longer.

I silently stood, fists clenched in my blazer pockets. Nobody besides the teams I was talking with even cared to look at the situation.

"You know-" I said, strolling over in front of Cardin, seated in his chair. He still had both of Velvet's ears in a hand. I kept the composure of Ozpin on the outside, but the anger of a box of Rapier Wasps on the inside.

"You know where I come from, doing that to a lady would dub you as abusive, and even mentally ill?" I said coldly. That caught his attention immediately, and he gave me an angry glare. "You want to keep going slick?" He asked, standing up, ears still in hand.

Velvet was hunched over still, pain and fear mingling with her tears. That by itself gave the the incentive to go on.

"Now, that being said, you mind letting her go, or do I need to continue?" I suggested. He didn't budge, growing more angry with another tall and scraggly boy besides Jaune bugging him. He kept quiet, daring me to carry on. By now everybody within a three table radius of us was nervously watching, including JNPR and RWBY.

"Fine. As I was saying, definitely abusive. Also, if you couldn't tell, the fact that your beating on a woman doesn't help the tough, big guy facade of yours."

Cardin had started clenching his teeth. I was already under his skin in just mere sentences. _Time to hi__t a nerve. _

"I'm not sure if you caught all that, so let me put it in _your _vocabulary. This looks pretty sad, to most: Mr. Macho beatin' on a faunus girl. I suggest you actually put your idiot bulk to some use. Try a punching bag, not a faunus."

My god, I made his face red. The rest of CRDL had backed up, seeing their leader so thrown off by a featherweight.

"You think all that fancy talk is gonna stop me?" He asked, now officially pissed off. He unconsciously let go of Velvet's ears, and she ran off instantly.

"Bingo."

With both hands free, Cardin got in my face, and I got shoved into the table behind me.

"Fine, I'll give the animal a break for today. But hey, I finally found my punching bag!" he threw a heavy fist into my gut, making me cough as the wind was knocked out of my lungs. Pyrrah shouted at Cardin to stop, but he disregarded her pleads. I was picked up by the collar, punched in the jaw, and dropped again. Jaune hopped over the table, and shoved Cardin to the side before another hit could be dealt.

"That's enough, Cardin." Jaune demanded. The mace-wielder growled before turning and storming out, team in tow.

It was then that the most odd of things occurred. People were clapping. Not for just me, but for both Jaune and I. Blake stood to applaud, and so the rest of the team followed, then -NPR, then everybody. There was even some whistling and cheering.

It felt great, besides my throbbing jawline. It took a minute for my aura to kick in, and the pain slowly dissipated.

They bell signalling the end of lunch stirred the students out of the standing ovation. Everybody filed out, minus RWBY and JNPR.

"What you did there took bravery. I respect that." Pyrrah declared. Everybody else agreed, nodding in unison.

After a pat on the back from both Jaune and Ren, their team left for class. Ruby, Weiss, and Yang left with them after taking about it. Only me and Blake remained, still at the same table.

"Connor, I have no idea how to explain what this did for me." She said. The faunus looked sad at first, but pushed it aside.

"Thank you for saving Velvet. You are among a rare group of people; ones that actually care about the faunus. We both know who I am, and I'm glad you didn't turn out like Cardin."

She then gave me the most sincere gesture I had ever seen. A passionate hug. I hugged back to show my support.

"You best get to class." I suggested. She smiled before running out.

"There is nothing like a dame..." I sang to myself.

* * *

**AND SO I HAVE DEFEATED THE DREADED WRITERS BLOCK! **

**Hey, C707 here. Man, I enjoyed the last bit of this chapter. Fun to write. **

**Also, only two weeks till break. Can't wait! **

**Any-who, thanks for reading! Glad to see that tapping away at this keyboard makes people entertained and happy!**


	7. Being like Blake

**~ Shout-Outs to new followers/favorites/etc ~**

**KorbusDymekir : GilroyQuinn : enforcer64 MrBenana : Heatrules  
**

**Sorry if I missed anybody for chapters 1-6! MSG me if I did so, and I will edit you in.**

* * *

Having been left by my lonesome in the cafeteria, I recollected what Pyrrah said about the Library. Not only could I learn about dust crystals and the works, but maybe even a thing or two on self defense- for when Cardin came back around. I knew that his arrogance can keep him away for only so long.

Walking up to one of the kitchen staff, I caught her attention by calmly waving.

"Do you need something?" She busily asked, scrubbing away at a dirty plate.

"Do you know where the Library is ma'am?" I inquired. It was probably odd for a 'student' to be asking such a question so late into the school year. She looked at me with a bit of confusion, but did smile at the ma'am. "Just go out the front, and its at your 2 o'clock from there."

I thanked her and left without another word. Still humming my tune, I quietly walked across the cobblestone campus until I located the building I was looking for.

* * *

Apparently Beacon's Library wasn't too different from home, given the fact that students were actually allowed to scale the ladders of the tall shelves. Most of the roof, besides the original dark, wooden support structure, was covered in glass to let the natural light in. Various plants were also scattered about the room, adding to the already impressive scene.

I walked up to the Librarian's counter to ask where the books on dust were located. The older lady merely handed me a number system of the Library, without even taking her eyes off her scroll. She reminded me of Goodwitch, minus the blonde hair and cape.

I scanned over the guide, and after a second or two, I again found what I was looking for.

* * *

~ _ ORDER SYSTEM: BEACON LIBRARY_ ~

*1-99: Grimm Anatomy and Related Articles

*100-199: History of Remnant

*200-299: Weapons, Dust, and Fighting Techniques

*300-399: The Sciences

*400-499: Aura and Life Forces

~ _MISCELLANEOUS_~

*500-599: Fiction

*600-699: Romance

*700-799: Local Newspapers- Updated via request

*800-899: Maps and the Kingdoms

*900-1000: Beacon's Classes, staff, map, and Rules

* * *

Man, I guess Dewey had his work cut out for him. Judging by the fact that the first 5 sections are all part of certain classes, education must be somewhat important at the academy (duh!).

I scanned the various shelves until the one labeled 400-499 caught my attention. Grabbing the first book that caught my eye "_Aura&Semblance: Powers and Abilities of the Soul" _, I sat down at the nearest table, and began reading.

_**Introduction**_

_**Since the dawn of time, the Creatures of Grimm have plagued humanity with death and chaos. The animal-like drive of these abominations almost led to the extinction of our species, and what would've been Remnant. These creatures, as alive as they seem, lack the very thing that defines life itself:**_

_**A soul. **_

_**Being human, we naturally posses such a force. And as of late, we have discovered a way to manipulate the power that keeps us alive. These manipulations took many shapes and forms, known as "semblances". Many varieties of this ability are described within these very pages. **_

Well, that was a nice beginning. I moved on to the table of contents, finally located a guide for beginners new to their aura.

_**A Guide to Beginners**_

_**Each and every human on Remnant has aura, and most a semblance. By following the steps listed, you will take the first step forward in truly understanding yourself, and the power within you- **_

The guide did indeed prove to be a great starting place. It showed me a way to concentrate, and in return physically feel/gauge the aura level I currently had. This process by itself took nearly all afternoon.

As the day drew to a close, the library grew quiet for even its own standards. No ambiance, no birds, nothing. I was about to leave, but I still wanted to continue reading. Returning to the Librarian again, I asked if the books could be checked out. She scoffed, and clipped a small microchip inside the cover.

"The chip will flash when its due. Can I get your name please?" She asked, her voice tired and scratchy.

I had her record me as Connor L.

**(A/N: Don't even think I would put my REAL last name in here. I appreciate realism, but that's a little too far.)  
**

* * *

The cool evening air hit my face as I left the Library, book in tow. It was nice not to have to think about sleeping outside again. The time was considerably earlier than I thought it was, as there was still random couples and groups of friends wandering about the campus.

Now knowing my way around the general area, I arrived back at the dorm building within minutes. The lobby appeared just as unoccupied as ever, which I passed through without a worry in the world. Only a six flights of stairs stood between me and my excuse of a bedstead.

But in my mind, the towel&shelf trumps the coat&bench.

Two flights in, I stopped to listen to something besides my footsteps. Besides the usual whirring of the ventilation system, human noises were cutting through the mix.

Someone was sobbing, one level above me.

Judging by the 'tone' of the occasional hiccups, whoever it was must be female. I had a hunch it was Velvet, venting out the emotions of yet another hellish day. One step after another, I arrived on the third landing.

Sure enough, the rabbit faunus sat balled up in the corner, quietly sobbing into her knees.

"Hey, you okay?" I asked in a soft voice. At least she heard me coming, and in return didn't bolt from being frightened. "Go away, Cardin."

Apparently me and Cardin actually have a thing in common: voice. Well, with me, I lack the arrogant tone. "Actually Velvet, far from it." She looked up, and took a minute to try and remember who I was.

"I got Cardin off of you at lunch."

When she heard this, I saw her shoulders relax a little more. Seeing that as a chance, I sat down next to her, letting my back slide down against the wall as I went. By now she had stopped crying, but still sat silent, drowning in sadness.

"You know, I was bullied too, once." I said sympathetically, trying to get her to let the feelings go. She looked at me, her eyes still red from the crying. "Really?"

"Ah yeah. Here, let me tell you a bit of a story-" She nodded okay before I continued.

"When I was a kid in elementary school, people made fun of me for the smallest things... Back then, things were really tough. Anything could be used against you, and these people did exactly that."

"So what did you do?" Velvet asked.

"Which school?" I replied disappointingly. She slumped at hearing that.

"At first, I lashed out at them, but always payed for it through the nose in the end. Eventually, however, I figured out that mere words by themselves could fluster even the most hardened of bullies."

"So what do I do?" She quietly cried, breaking up again. Nuts, I don't think she got the message I had hidden in there.

"Velvet, listen to me carefully." I got up and sat right in front of her, staring deep into her eyes. I took the chance of placing my hands on hers, for the sake of comfort. She became so focused that it was never even noticed.

"The next time Cardin comes calling, face the music. Use not your fists, but your words, as these can cut deeper than any blade. Do not take this as encouragement to fight back violently, instead, use it as a way to deter the problem at its source. Now, I think enough tear shedding has been done today-"

I rose, hauling her up with me. She squeaked, but grimaced, shoving away the fear. After a moment of deep thinking, she looked up to me once more.

"Could you teach me how? You know, a way to get him to leave me alone?"

"I can try. But first, I think you need this-" I pulled her into a warm hug. She took no time in hugging back, glad to finally have a person on her side.

* * *

And so that was how Velvet ended up in Hangout- de la- Connor.

Also known as a goddamn storage closet.

I luckily found some folding chairs in the back, and Velvet was sat on one. She had cleaned herself up while we were en route from the stairwell.

"To get Cardin to back down, you have multiple options. One: Kill him-"

Her sudden gasp confirmed that course of action was a no.

"Two: Show no fear to the point of him losing interest, and Three: Use some well placed phrases to really mangle his pride/standing in public."

She considered the choices, and eventually took number _four_. "Lets do both two and three." The faunus said, almost appearing bent on vengeance.

"I like the flare! But remember, we don't need to stoop down to his methods." I corrected. "This isn't revenge, either."

"So what is it then?"

"Just Deserts."

I brought my hands together. It felt nice, starting a mini revolution. The both of us had created an alliance, one forged from the pain and agony of both the past and present suffering.

We are the Dynamic Duo!

Okay, maybe I took that a little far. Still, it was a nice thought. "So, the contestant chooses two and three..."

Suddenly, my phone chimed an all to familiar tune. _Oh no. _

I pulled it out of my pocket, and looked at the battery percent level.

15%.

"Crap. Velv, could I ask of you a favor?" I asked, hurriedly. "What is it?"

"C-Could you take a selfie with me?"

"A what?"

"A self-photo of myself. And yes, I would like it if you were in it."

She hesitated a moment before brushing up in front of me. "Alright, smile!-" *artificial camera shutter*

Luckily, my phone isn't one to stop taking photos after the 15% alert. I checked to make sure it was saved before shutting it down immediately.

"What was that device?" The rabbit faunus asked after the deed was done. Out of all the scrolls she had seen, this one took the cake.

"Its like a scroll, only from back home." I replied. From the look of confusion she was giving me, it was crystal clear that she had no idea what I was talking about.

"If you don't know by now, I was the one that team RWBY brought back from the rescue/extraction mission." Her eyes lit up, along with her ears standing on end.

"You were the one that came through that portal!"

I nodded. "You should also know that I'm not exactly... from here. But forget that. I can tell you about it later. Right now, though, you need to figure out how to take care of Cardin.

She equipped her own scroll, ready to take notes when necessary.

"The first phase of this plan involves losing all fear to your bully-"

I lunged at her, hands outstretched. She shrieked when both of my hands caught the shoulders of her uniform, and she began shaking.

"Why did you scream?" I asked, still hanging on.

"B-Because, you're gonna hurt me! "

"And have I done so, just now?"

"No?"

I let her go, and smoothed out the wrinkles I caused within the sleeves. _Will Smith, don't fail me now._

"Listen. Fear is not real. The only place it can exist is in our thoughts of the future. It is a product of our imagination, causing us to fear things that do not at present and may not ever exist. That, Velvet, is near insanity. Do not misunderstand me, danger is very real, but fear is a choice."

She looked at me in amazement, thinking I was Ozpin's sensei. Lunging once more, it was this time that she did nothing, besides merely staring at me with little to no emotion.

_Objective: Complete!_

"That's it, Velvet!" I exclaimed, patting her on the shoulder.

"What did I do?" She asked curiously, smiling at my outburst. It was interesting to see how someone's personality changes when the weight of the world leaves their shoulders.

"You did nothing!" I celebrated further. "By not showing fear, you aren't going to give Cardin the thing he wants!"

She smiled even more, happy to see that she finally had a weapon to use against the brutish thug. But then again, she was only halfway there.

"Now, Part Two!" I beamed, gesturing out a peace sign with emphasis.

* * *

**So, how did you like that? Power to the people! **

**Well, let the two day countdown begin. This is it people, the end of my school year before break!**

**Now, with that in mind, I have come to the conclusion that I should beef up my chapters a little. Per se, about 500 words more than what you guys have had previous. **

**Being a rookie writer in all this had it's disadvantages, but all you people out there help reduce the intimidation factor significantly. So, for the umpteenth time: Thanks for the support!**

**P.S. R&Rs add icing to the cake!**


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